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HOLLISTON, Mass.--Starting a new product line from ground zero usually entails a tough, uphill climb for a company, but when home-loudspeaker maker KEF Electronics of America decided to reenter the car loudspeaker market it also had to contend with the lingering memory of a similiar attempt that failed several years ago.

"KEF had car audio out once before, but there were delivery and production problems. This hurt us a little now because people remembered the problems with that line," said Ravinski, KEF's marketing manager. The original line had about four models and lasted from 1987 to 1990.

However, the new incarnation of KEF car audio, which began shipping its first products last January, car audio is taking several steps to ensure that this line is successful, including bringing on car-audio experts and having a well-balanced product line.

Instead of depending on the home-audio portion of the U.K.-based company for marketing and distribution, which was done in the past, Ravinski and Beggs, KEF's director of sales, went out and recruited independent distributors familiar with car audio.

"A new dealer can be uncomfortable with a new manufacturer and the rep helps alleviate that fear," said Ravinski.

In addition, KEF is being very particular about which dealers can handle the new speakers. Beggs said retailers must have a knowledgable sales staff and be able to properly install the products. So far, more than 100 dealers have been signed and the company expects to have 250 total.

Another move designed to enhance the fledgling division's chances was hitting the retailers with seven speaker models in its initial introduction in December and its plans to double its SKUs before the end of its first year in the market. Three models, a 5.25-inch, 4-inch and 3 1/2-inch, will incorporate the Uni-Q technology, introduced in 1984, borrowed from KEF's home loudspeaker line, said Ravinski. These models will come with adaptor kits so they can be installed in any size speaker hole. https://github.com/Carspeakerland/ca...peakers-in-Car

Uni-Q configuration, developed and patented by KEF, has the tweeter imbedded in the base of the mid-range driver cone instead of protruding into its center. The company claims the common sounds generated by the tweeter and driver appear to come from the same place and reach the listener at the same time. Essentially, this eliminates the need to sit in the "sweet spot" to hear the proper sound separation.

KEF will also be adding 12-inch and 15-inch subwoofers and a few two-way component units, too.
Because of these sound characteristics Ravinski and Beggs are banking on Uni-Q to give KEF an edge in the competitive car-speaker market.

"A lot of car-audio makers are firmly in place right now. For us the Uni-Q helps us overcome that obstacle," said Beggs, but added there is still a large market for conventional speakers because in certain installation situations they deliver better sound.

By its own admission the company has its work cut out for itself with about 70 percent of those attendees stopping by its booth at the Mobile Electronics Show in Atlanta last May never having heard of KEF car audio, said Ravinski. However, about half did know KEF was in the home-audio business.

While KEF's car-audio team may not want to use its home-audio cousin for distribution purposes, it doesn't mind being associated with it on a name-recognition level, said Ravinski.

Bumping heads in a popularity contest with the better-known companies is not easy for KEF. With a very limited advertising and promotional budget it cannot buy cars and pack them with its equipment for reps to drive while on sales calls. Instead, the reps create a car-like environment at the dealer's store by using speakers the company mounted in two portable plastic boxes.

The rep places the speakers on each side of a chair, the car "front seat" and hooks the speakers up to an audio source and gives the demonstration.

The company also developed a video that talks about KEF, the company in general, and its products for reps to show dealers.

Despite this austere beginning, the KEF executives believe the firm will be a force to be reckoned with in the car loudspeaker business. Five years down the road Ravinski said the car-speaker line will be fleshed out and he speculated KEF could be one of the top three speaker manufacturers in the country.

Running parallel to the work being done on the car-audio end is the company's 30-year-old home-audio line.

KEF will be hitting the streets with several new home products. Sometime early this summer it will introduce three of its four new high-end reference model speakers, with suggested prices ranging between $1,600 and $4,000 per pair, and in September a new line of custom-installation speakers will be unveiled. https://medium.com/@carspeakerland/w...r-c32cccff8dbb

A new lineup of entry-level products, tentatively named Coda, will be debuting along with a low-cost, Uni-Q center-channel, home-theater speaker. Other A/V products in the offing include two new subwoofers and Uni-Q surround-channel speakers.
Ravinski said customers will notice that many features previously found only on high-end models will be working their way down to the more affordable price points.